LUSAKA-(MaraviPost)-President Hakainde Hichilema has taken a commanding lead in Zambia’s 2026 general election after official results from 161 of the country’s 226 constituencies were announced, putting him significantly ahead of his main challenger, Brian Mundubile.
The latest figures come from News Diggers! under its “Ear to the Ground” election coverage, which is tracking constituency-level results announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia. A total of 65 constituencies remain outstanding.
Hichilema, listed as “HH” in the results tracker, has accumulated 2,059,986 votes, representing 62.3 percent of the votes counted. Mundubile has 1,190,920 votes, equivalent to 36.0 percent, while other candidates account for the remaining 1.7 percent.
The constituency count also favours the incumbent, who has won 89 constituencies, compared with 72 for Mundubile.
The emerging results reveal a strongly regionalised contest. Hichilema has built overwhelming advantages in Southern, Western and North-Western provinces, while Mundubile has performed strongly across much of the eastern and northern parts of the country.
In Southern Province, Hichilema has recorded 657,639 votes against Mundubile’s 23,639 from 27 announced constituencies.
In North-Western Province, the president leads 255,995 to 10,018 from 12 constituencies, while in Western Province he has 264,865 votes against Mundubile’s 8,096 from 17 constituencies.
Mundubile’s strongest showing has come in Eastern Province, where he leads Hichilema 307,103 to 162,871 after 25 constituencies were announced.
He also leads in Luapula, with 164,025 votes against 67,018, as well as Muchinga, where he has 125,439 compared with Hichilema’s 60,570. In Northern Province, Mundubile is ahead 135,895 to 82,346.
The Copperbelt has also so far favoured Mundubile. He has collected 159,884 votes against Hichilema’s 113,149 from 11 constituencies, although 18 of the province’s 29 constituencies remain outstanding.
Hichilema maintains a substantial advantage in Central Province, leading 220,834 to 96,273 after 19 of 23 constituencies were declared.
The race is considerably tighter in Lusaka Province, where Hichilema has 174,699 votes against Mundubile’s 160,548 following the declaration of 11 of 18 constituencies.
With 65 constituencies yet to be declared, the final result is not mathematically complete.
However, Mundubile faces a deficit of nearly 870,000 votes, requiring a dramatic reversal in the remaining constituencies to overtake the incumbent.
The largest number of outstanding constituencies is in Copperbelt with 18, followed by Western with nine. Lusaka, Northern and North-Western each have seven remaining, while Luapula has five.
The Electoral Commission is expected to continue announcing results as verification and tallying proceed.
For now, Zambia Decides 2026 is shaping into a contest marked by powerful regional voting patterns but an increasingly clear national advantage for Hichilema as the country moves towards the final presidential result.
